ROLE DESCRIPTION
The Operations Manager, Restaurant & Property supports the Director of Operations in delivering exceptional daily operations at Waterworks Food Hall. This is a hands-on hospitality and property operations role responsible for keeping the restaurants, building, shared spaces, and guest environment clean, sharp, safe, energized, and operationally ready every day.
Working closely with the Director of Operations, this role sits at the intersection of restaurant support, tenant coordination, building presentation, contractor routines, and guest experience. The role maintains a strong daily presence throughout the property and ensures standards are clearly communicated, consistently followed, and aligned with the hospitality-forward expectations of Waterworks.
Key Responsibilities
Restaurant & Tenant Operations
· Lead day-to-day restaurant and tenant operational support within Waterworks Food Hall
· Run new restaurant onboarding to the space with guidance from the DOO, including access, building expectations, service standards, food hall procedures, loading, deliveries, storage, POS readiness, waste, pest control, chemicals, paper goods, takeaway bags, and opening-readiness checklists
· Conduct regular restaurant service audits with a focus on cleanliness, safety, guest experience, operating standards, and guest-facing presentation
· Manage security fobs and access coordination for tenants and Waterworks team members
· Work collaboratively with restaurants to identify opportunities to improve operational execution, profitability, consistency, and guest experience
· Support tenant communication, follow-up, and issue resolution in a clear, professional, and timely manner
· Reinforce shared food hall standards related to cleanliness, waste management, storage, safety, hours of operation, and guest-facing conduct
· Partner with restaurants to support smooth execution during peak periods, activations, seasonal changes, and special events
· Work with restaurants to support efficient and accurate POS setup and troubleshoot support where necessary
· Escalate restaurant performance concerns, repeated operational gaps, or contractual issues to the Director of Operations as appropriate
Operational Property Management
· Lead daily operational property audits including lighting, music levels, cleanliness, temperature, guest flow, signage, washrooms, shared spaces, and overall environment
· Own the operating rhythm of the property through clear routines, trackers, follow-up, contractor coordination, and practical issue resolution
· Identify and coordinate resolution of operational property issues including lighting repairs, locksmith work, landscaping, snow removal, minor plumbing, minor electrical, and general building-related service needs
· Own the service-agreement tracker and routine coordination for core building systems, including HVAC, fire life safety, grease interceptors, waste systems, and other required service partners; this includes scheduling, documentation, follow-up, and escalation, but excludes physical maintenance work and capital repair ownership
· Fully own shared operating programs across the food hall, including waste management, pest control, chemical program, paper goods, takeaway bags, linen coordination, and related restaurant communication
· Oversee the third-party cleaner contract, ensuring service expectations, schedules, standards, and follow-up are consistently maintained
· Monitor health, safety, and security standards across the food hall and support corrective action where required, including hosting bi-monthly HSS Committee meetings and posting minutes
· Maintain strong communication with property and facilities partners regarding building needs, service requests, preventative maintenance, and operational priorities
· Support operational readiness for seasonal changes, patio periods, winter weather, contractor work, and special building needs
· Escalate capital repairs, material building risks, ownership-level decisions, and specialized maintenance concerns to the Director of Operations as appropriate
Hospitality & Guest Experience (Manager on Duty)
· Support daily food hall operations by helping maintain a warm, polished, and hospitality-forward guest environment
· Maintain visible floor presence and support the broader operations team during peak service periods
· Protect the feel of the room by auditing shared spaces, restaurant presentation, lighting, music, washrooms, signage, cleanliness, guest flow, and overall building energy
· Help resolve guest concerns, restaurant-facing service issues, and operational gaps in a calm, professional, and timely manner
· Reinforce Waterworks hospitality standards across shared guest spaces, tenant interactions, washroom direction, building touchpoints, and public areas
· Support an environment where tenants, restaurants, team members, contractors, and guests are treated with professionalism, respect, and care
· Collaborate with the Operations Manager, Beverage & Hospitality to ensure shared standards are consistent across bar service, food hall operations, restaurants, and guest-facing spaces
Events & Programming Support
· Support event execution through restaurant coordination, operational readiness, and building communication
· Coordinate with restaurants on special menu requests, event-related food requirements, adjusted operating needs, and service expectations
· Support event teams with restaurant communication, timing, access needs, load-in considerations, and service coordination
· Provide AV guidance and operational support where required, including basic setup direction, restaurant coordination, and escalation of technical needs
· Assist with food hall activations, seasonal programming, private events, and special projects as required
· Ensure event-related activity is aligned with building standards, restaurant expectations, guest flow, cleanliness, waste needs, and operational safety
Compliance, Safety & Standards
· Support compliance with food safety regulations, municipal requirements, health and safety standards, and Waterworks operating expectations
· Conduct regular cleanliness, safety, and operating standards audits across restaurant spaces and shared food hall areas
· Support emergency procedures, incident reporting, contractor access, building safety communication, and tenant access needs
· Coordinate with the Director of Operations on safety concerns, restaurant compliance issues, and required follow-up
· Maintain accurate notes, records, and communication related to audits, service issues, contractor performance, service agreements, and restaurant follow-up
· Ensure operational standards are communicated clearly and reinforced consistently across tenants, restaurants, contractors, and internal teams
Qualifications & Experience
· 3+ years of experience in hospitality operations, property operations, facilities coordination, food hall operations, restaurant operations, hotel operations, or a similar multi-tenant/multi-operator environment
· Ideal candidate brings a mix of property management experience and hospitality instincts, with comfort moving between building needs, contractor follow-up, restaurant support, and guest-facing standards
· Basic understanding of restaurant, hotel, food hall, or mixed-use hospitality environments is preferred
· Demonstrated experience managing tenant, restaurant, contractor, or third-party service provider relationships
· Strong communication skills with the ability to follow up clearly, professionally, and consistently with tenants, restaurants, contractors, and internal teams
· Ability to balance hospitality-forward standards with operational discipline, accountability, and practical problem-solving
· Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-volume environment with multiple restaurants, contractors, guests, and internal stakeholders
· Strong judgment, ownership, organization, and ability to escalate issues appropriately
· Experience supporting events, activations, seasonal operations, service agreements, or special projects is considered an asset
Pay: $80,000.00-$90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Discounted or free food
- Employee assistance program
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- Store discount
Work Location: In person
